Thank You Email After an Interview: 7 Examples You Can Copy
How to write a thank you email after a job interview, when to send it, what to include, and seven ready-to-copy examples for every situation.
4 min read
Quick answer
Send a thank you email within 24 hours of your interview. Keep it to 3–5 sentences: thank them for their time, mention one specific thing you discussed, restate why you’re a good fit, and close politely. Send a separate email to each interviewer.
A short thank you email after an interview won’t get you the job on its own, but it does keep you top of mind and shows you’re genuinely interested. It takes five minutes to write.
When to send it
Send it within 24 hours of the interview, ideally the same day. If you interview on a Friday afternoon, sending it that evening or on Monday morning is fine.
What to include
- A clear subject line – e.g. “Thank you – Marketing Coordinator interview”
- A thank you for their time
- One specific detail from the conversation
- Why you’re a good fit, in one sentence
- A polite close and your full name
Keep the whole email to around 100–150 words.
Thank you email examples
1. Standard thank you email
2. Short thank you email
3. After a phone or video interview
4. To a panel or multiple interviewers
Send a separate email to each person. Change the specific detail for each one.
5. After a second or final interview
6. When you forgot to mention something
7. To the recruiter
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting too long. After a few days it feels like an afterthought.
- Sending one email to everyone on the panel with all names in the To line.
- Copy-pasting the same email to each interviewer without changing the detail.
- Misspelling names or getting the job title wrong. Check twice.
- Writing an essay. If it takes more than 30 seconds to read, cut it down.
Frequently asked questions
How soon should you send a thank you email after an interview?
Within 24 hours. Sending it the same afternoon or evening is ideal, while you’re still fresh in the interviewer’s mind.
Should I send a thank you email after a phone or video interview?
Yes. The format is exactly the same as after an in-person interview. You can mention the call or video meeting in your first line.
Do I need to email every interviewer?
Yes, if you have their email addresses. Send each person a separate, slightly different email that mentions something you discussed with them.
What if I don’t have the interviewer’s email address?
Ask the recruiter or HR contact to pass your thanks along, or send it to the recruiter directly and mention the interviewers by name.
Can a thank you email hurt my chances?
Only if it has mistakes or is too long. Proofread names and the job title carefully and keep it short.